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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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Word bank
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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: foot · rock · last · jam · craft · pitcher · fork · shower

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. last — to go on
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. last — final
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rock — music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. last — finally
  20. rock — a stone
  21. foot — a measure
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. craft — boats
  24. foot — the bottom

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