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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: bear · mate · deal · row · pitcher · craft · rock · present

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — boats
  7. mate — to breed
  8. present — the time now
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — there
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mate — a friend
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bear — the animal
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. rock — to move gently

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