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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — obliged
  10. season — in sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — of the year
  18. ground — the earth
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ground — a position

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