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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. craft — boats
  9. object — to protest
  10. stock — goods
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. object — an aim
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. object — a thing
  20. stock — shares
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fan — a supporter

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