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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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Word bank
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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. firm — a company
  10. court — of a king
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. court — for sport
  17. craft — boats
  18. pit — a hole
  19. kid — child
  20. court — of law
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. firm — decided
  24. craft — a handicraft

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