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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. season — in sport
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. firm — steady
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. firm — decided
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. sharp — clever
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fork — in a road
  23. craft — boats
  24. season — of the year

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