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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. craft — boats
  3. march — the month
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wound — an injury
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. suit — in cards
  14. march — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. sharp — clever
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. craft — a handicraft

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