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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pop — music
  5. craft — boats
  6. firm — decided
  7. club — for golf
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. toast — bread
  10. club — for dancing
  11. firm — a company
  12. pop — to visit
  13. roll — a list
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. craft — a skill
  16. club — a group
  17. roll — a cake
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cap — of ice
  20. firm — steady
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. craft — a handicraft

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