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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cell — in biology
  4. craft — a skill
  5. last — to go on
  6. key — the most important part
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. squash — to crush
  10. degree — an amount
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. suit — to fit
  13. last — final
  14. degree — temperature
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. suit — clothes
  17. craft — boats
  18. last — finally
  19. suit — in cards
  20. key — for a lock
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cell — a phone
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. key — in 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