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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mark — a grade
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. craft — boats
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. foot — a measure
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. swing — to play on
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. swing — music

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