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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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. craft — boats
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — in music
  5. pit — in a race
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pit — a hole
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pound — to hit hard

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