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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pitch — completely
  7. craft — boats
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. spring — the season
  10. court — of a king
  11. foot — a measure
  12. court — for sport
  13. drill — army training
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. spring — a coil
  18. drill — a practice
  19. court — of law
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. spring — of water
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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