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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. kid — child
  4. firm — a company
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — to eat
  9. craft — boats
  10. firm — steady
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. firm — decided
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. racket — for tennis

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