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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mine — for digging
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. craft — boats
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rash — a series
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rash — on the skin

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