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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — size or range
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. march — the month
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. scale — in music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. march — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. craft — boats
  20. march — the month
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rest — a break

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