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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. pound — a weight
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fine — high quality
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. craft — boats
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fine — all right
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. spring — the season
  19. drill — the tool
  20. spring — of water
  21. scale — in music
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fork — a garden 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