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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. craft — boats
  2. bank — for money
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mark — a grade
  6. shower — rain
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bank — of a river
  14. roll — a list
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ground — a position
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bank — for money
  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