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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. foot — a measure
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — boats
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. foot — part of the body

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