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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. game — a match
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. kid — to tease
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. game — wild animals
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ground — a position
  18. pit — a hole
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. craft — boats

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