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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. craft — boats
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ground — a position
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. craft — a skill
  21. date — the fruit
  22. net — after costs
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ground — the earth

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