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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · bat · straw · craft · jam · ground

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. craft — a skill
  15. ground — crushed
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. suit — clothes

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