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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. craft — boats
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. toast — bread
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mug — a face
  15. spring — the season
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mug — a cup

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