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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. craft — a skill
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. present — the time now
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. craft — boats
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. drill — army training
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fork — in a road
  17. present — a gift
  18. drill — the tool
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — money
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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