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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fork — in a road
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. lie — to recline
  9. key — in music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. present — a gift
  12. track — a path
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. present — the time now
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ground — a position
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bound — certain
  24. present — there

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