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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. foot — a measure
  3. charge — in control
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. charge — electricity
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rule — a law
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. charge — a price
  12. fine — all right
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rule — government
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitch — completely
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wake — a trail
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. tear — from crying

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