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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. sharp — clever
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mug — a cup
  6. game — a match
  7. craft — boats
  8. band — a music group
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pit — a hole
  11. band — a ring
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pit — in a race
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mug — to rob
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. row — a line
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mug — a face
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. band — a rubber band

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