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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. saw — the tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. march — music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. object — an aim
  7. spring — the season
  8. pop — soda
  9. craft — a skill
  10. object — to protest
  11. pop — to visit
  12. march — the month
  13. plane — a tool
  14. march — the month
  15. craft — boats
  16. spring — of water
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pop — music
  19. spring — a coil
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. object — a thing

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