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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. craft — boats
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pop — to visit
  8. shower — rain
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pop — music
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ground — a position
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — soda
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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