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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. chair — a leader
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fine — all right
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. dip — to sink
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wake — a trail
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. craft — boats
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fork — in a road
  24. craft — a skill

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