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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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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: rash · craft · stick · spell · bowl · fork · toast · pound

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. craft — boats
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. spell — letters
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spell — magic
  17. fork — in a road
  18. toast — bread
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pound — for dogs

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