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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 116 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ground — crushed
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fork — in a road
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. craft — boats
  9. rock — music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hand — help
  12. staff — employees
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ground — a position
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mine — for digging
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ground — the earth

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