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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · mate · craft · bat · mine · bear · object · pitcher

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. object — to protest
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. season — in sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mate — a friend
  9. object — a thing
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mine — for digging
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — a partner
  22. object — an aim
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. season — of the year

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