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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. net — in sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. board — to get on
  6. fork — in a road
  7. net — for catching
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. craft — boats
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. net — after costs
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wax — to grow
  20. board — a committee
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — a skill

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