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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. land — to come down
  6. craft — a skill
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. present — there
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — ground
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. craft — boats
  18. stem — to come from
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. land — a country
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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