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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. spring — the season
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pop — music
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — thin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — of water
  13. pop — soda
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lean — to bend
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. craft — boats

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