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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chair — a leader
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. craft — boats
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — a skill
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bowl — to roll

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