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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. craft — boats
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. face — to confront
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pop — soda
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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