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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — steady
  4. spell — magic
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chip — for betting
  8. spell — a short time
  9. game — a match
  10. march — music
  11. fine — all right
  12. land — to come down
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. firm — decided
  17. march — the month
  18. firm — a company
  19. land — a country
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. spell — letters
  23. land — ground
  24. craft — a skill

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