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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 120 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. craft — a skill
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — a series
  5. bass — low music
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pound — a weight
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. dip — to sink
  13. game — a match
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rash — hasty
  23. kid — child
  24. game — a kind of play

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