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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ball — a great time
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. craft — a skill
  10. key — in music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. date — the fruit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. row — a line
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ball — a dance
  22. key — for a lock
  23. row — to paddle
  24. arm — part of the 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