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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. spell — magic
  5. craft — boats
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. track — a song
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — letters
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. deal — to handle
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. spell — a short time
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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