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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — in sport
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — boats
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. field — a subject
  16. season — of the year
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. field — farmland
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. field — for sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. arm — a part of something

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