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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ground — a position
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. craft — boats
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. saw — the tool

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