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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. court — of law
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pop — music
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pop — soda
  24. mine — for digging

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