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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. charge — a price
  3. craft — a skill
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lean — thin
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. charge — in control
  10. bass — the fish
  11. charge — electricity
  12. object — a thing
  13. craft — boats
  14. court — of law
  15. object — to protest
  16. chip — for betting
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. march — the month
  21. object — an aim
  22. march — music
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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