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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bass — the fish
  8. craft — boats
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. craft — a skill
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. capital — a city
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spring — of water
  17. fork — in a road
  18. capital — money
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. foot — a measure
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bass — low music
  24. spring — a coil

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