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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. band — a music group
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. key — for a lock
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. key — in music
  12. pop — music
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kick — in football
  20. rock — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. band — a ring
  24. pop — soda

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