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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. squash — the sport
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — to crush
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — to roll

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