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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. present — the time now
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. craft — a skill
  6. hand — help
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. staff — a stick
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. present — a gift
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. present — there

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