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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 116 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mug — a cup
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ball — a dance
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rush — hurry
  18. craft — boats
  19. mug — a face
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bear — the animal

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