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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 120 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pop — soda
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. craft — boats
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kid — child
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fan — to cool the air

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