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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. file — a line of people
  3. craft — boats
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. kid — child
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. file — a tool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. file — a document
  17. drill — army training
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bowl — a football final

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