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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fine — all right
  4. pop — music
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pop — soda
  8. craft — boats
  9. toast — bread
  10. kid — to tease
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. kid — child
  16. drill — army training
  17. fine — high quality
  18. drill — the tool
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. craft — a skill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. drill — a practice

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