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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. craft — boats
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fork — in a road
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. saw — the tool
  22. toast — bread
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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