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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — boats
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. charge — in control
  24. bay — a horse colour

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