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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mark — a grade
  16. game — a match
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. game — wild animals
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. track — to keep track
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. mark — to pay attention

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