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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. firm — a company
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bore — to drill
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. kid — to tease
  17. firm — steady
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. firm — decided
  23. kid — child
  24. saw — the tool

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