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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fine — all right
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. chest — of your body

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