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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — the animal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. sharp — clever
  7. craft — a skill
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. craft — boats
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — to handle
  17. march — the month
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. march — the month
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. march — music

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