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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chest — a box
  3. craft — boats
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ground — a position
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pit — a hole
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chest — of your body
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. shower — rain
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chest — of your body

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