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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. current — of water
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. current — electric
  15. lean — to bend
  16. kid — child
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. squash — the sport
  19. current — happening now
  20. squash — to crush
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lean — thin

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