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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. net — after costs
  4. season — in sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. face — to confront
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. face — to point toward
  9. march — music
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. net — for catching
  12. march — the month
  13. bound — tied together
  14. craft — a skill
  15. face — part of the head
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — of the year
  19. march — the month
  20. bound — obliged
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. net — in sport
  24. bound — certain

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