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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. spring — of water
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pop — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. file — a tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — to visit
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. craft — boats
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pop — soda
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ground — a position
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. spring — the season
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. craft — a skill
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — to pay attention

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