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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. track — a song
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wound — an injury
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. club — for golf
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. track — a path
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. club — a group
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pound — for dogs

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