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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. craft — a skill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — a stone
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. craft — boats
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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