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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. craft — boats
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — a position
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cell — in biology
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. cell — a phone
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spring — of water
  23. ground — crushed
  24. suit — clothes

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