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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 120 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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. craft — a skill
  3. net — in sport
  4. ground — the earth
  5. game — a match
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — boats
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ground — a position
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ground — crushed
  17. net — after costs
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spell — letters
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spell — magic
  24. chest — of your body

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