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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: mug · craft · mark · sharp · bat · fine · wound · deal

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fine — high quality
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mug — a face
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fine — all right
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wound — an injury

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