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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
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: mark · date · craft · wax · pitcher · sharp · drill · squash

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mark — a grade
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. date — the fruit
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wax — to grow
  16. drill — army training
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mark — a trace
  21. craft — boats
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wax — in the ear

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