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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — there
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. present — the time now
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. object — a thing
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. band — a music group
  17. object — to protest
  18. band — a ring
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. present — a gift
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. object — an aim

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