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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. craft — a skill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cell — a phone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. chip — to eat
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. kick — in football
  17. chip — for betting
  18. patient — a sick person

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