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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mark — a grade
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. craft — boats
  6. foot — a measure
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. march — the month
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — a skill

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