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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. craft — boats
  2. squash — to crush
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rock — music
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chip — for betting
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — the sport
  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