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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. craft — a skill
  3. club — for dancing
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — a tin
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ground — the earth
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. craft — boats
  14. sharp — clever
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mate — a friend
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ground — crushed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — to be able to

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