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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 120 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. sharp — clever
  6. club — for golf
  7. ground — crushed
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. craft — boats
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. wound — an injury
  13. deal — to handle
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. club — for dancing
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wound — an injury
  18. club — a group
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. spring — of water

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