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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rest — a break
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fork — in a road
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cell — in biology
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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