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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. firm — a company
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chip — for betting
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. craft — boats
  10. date — the fruit
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. craft — a skill
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bat — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. branch — a division
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. craft — a handicraft

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