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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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 handicraft
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rash — a series
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. foot — a measure
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rash — hasty
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — boats
  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