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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. scale — in music
  6. fine — all right
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bat — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fine — high quality
  16. craft — boats
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. squash — the sport
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. scale — size or range

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