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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: fork · craft · rock · pitcher · hide · mouse · kid · ground

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — boats
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fork — in a road
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ground — a position
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ground — the earth
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kid — child

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