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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. craft — boats
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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