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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mark — a grade
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. craft — boats
  6. spring — of water
  7. net — in sport
  8. craft — a skill
  9. object — an aim
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. net — for catching
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. band — a ring
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. band — a music group
  19. object — a thing
  20. net — after costs
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. spring — a coil
  23. object — to protest
  24. spring — the season

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