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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. mate — a partner
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. craft — a skill
  5. season — of the year
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mate — a friend
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. season — in sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mate — to breed
  23. coach — a trainer
  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