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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pit — a hole
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pit — in a race
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spell — letters
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. spell — magic
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. club — for dancing
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com