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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bark — to shout
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. craft — boats
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. dip — to sink
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. spring — the season
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — a big deal
  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