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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pop — soda
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pop — music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pop — to visit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ball — a dance
  24. safe — a strongbox

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