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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. craft — boats
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ground — crushed
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ground — the earth
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. ground — a position
  14. club — a group
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kid — child
  22. club — for golf
  23. kid — to tease
  24. drill — army training

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