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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pit — a hole
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. craft — boats
  15. bore — to tire
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bore — to drill
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ball — a dance

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