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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. prune — to trim
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fine — all right

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