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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. craft — boats
  9. pound — a weight
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. stand — to bear
  14. present — the time now
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. chest — a box
  20. cap — of ice
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cap — a hat

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