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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. club — for dancing
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bat — the animal
  9. club — a group
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. toast — bread
  17. club — for golf
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. craft — boats
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bat — in an idiom

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