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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. craft — boats
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — a skill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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