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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. 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. chip — to eat
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. suit — in cards
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. march — the month
  6. field — for sport
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. craft — a skill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. march — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. suit — clothes
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. craft — boats
  21. snap — to click
  22. suit — to fit
  23. march — the month
  24. 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