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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. game — a match
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. net — for catching
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mug — a cup
  8. object — a thing
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. net — in sport
  11. object — to protest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — a face
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. net — after costs
  18. mug — to rob
  19. object — an aim
  20. craft — boats
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. game — wild animals
  24. land — ground

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