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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. shower — rain
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pound — a weight
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitch — completely
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. craft — boats
  12. rash — a series
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. shower — to wash

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