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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. firm — a company
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cell — a phone
  12. firm — steady
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bank — of a river
  18. craft — boats
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bank — for money

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