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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pass — a permit
  5. sharp — clever
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — soda
  8. spring — a coil
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — boats
  12. pop — music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pitcher — a jug

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