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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. drill — army training
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. date — the fruit
  11. craft — boats
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rash — a series
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ground — the earth
  16. toast — bread
  17. ground — a position
  18. drill — a practice
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. craft — a skill
  21. drill — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — a weight
  24. ground — crushed

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