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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mine — for digging
  3. craft — boats
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ground — a position
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pop — music
  10. mate — a friend
  11. foot — a measure
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ground — crushed
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pop — soda
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mate — a partner
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rash — a series
  24. jam — a tight spot

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