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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 120 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
468
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: firm · foot · craft · season · bat · mine · ruler · wound

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. season — in sport
  5. mine — for digging
  6. season — of the year
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. craft — boats
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wound — an injury
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. firm — a company
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. craft — a skill
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. firm — decided
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — steady

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