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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. chip — to eat
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. court — of law
  7. game — wild animals
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. court — of a king
  11. craft — boats
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. game — a match
  15. court — for sport
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. craft — a skill
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. march — 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