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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. net — for catching
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. court — of law
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fork — in a road
  7. court — of a king
  8. net — in sport
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. craft — boats
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kid — child
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kid — to tease
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. court — for sport
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fork — to eat with

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