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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spring — the season
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bass — low music
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rash — hasty
  8. spring — of water
  9. march — music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rash — a series
  17. craft — a skill
  18. march — the month
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fork — in a road
  23. suit — clothes
  24. chip — in a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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