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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. toast — bread
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. foot — a measure
  12. craft — boats
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. craft — a skill
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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