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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — clever
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. craft — boats
  16. bat — the animal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. craft — a skill
  24. jam — a tight spot

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