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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ground — the earth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. craft — boats
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wake — a trail
  12. drill — the tool
  13. march — music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. march — the month
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. drill — army training
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. craft — a skill
  22. march — the month
  23. ground — a position
  24. swing — music

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