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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. last — final
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mug — to rob
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bark — to shout
  10. last — to go on
  11. stand — to bear
  12. content — the amount
  13. mug — a face
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. last — finally
  16. craft — boats
  17. content — happy
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chip — for betting

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