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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mug — a face
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mate — a partner
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. court — of a king
  8. rash — a series
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. track — a path
  16. court — of law
  17. track — a song
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mug — a cup
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mate — a friend
  24. court — for sport

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