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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hand — help

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