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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. scale — in music
  3. craft — boats
  4. bound — certain
  5. land — ground
  6. ground — crushed
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ground — the earth
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ground — a position
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stand — to bear
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bound — tied together
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stand — on your feet

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