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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. craft — boats
  4. fine — all right
  5. land — ground
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — for digging
  8. land — a country
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. craft — a skill
  15. net — for catching
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. net — in sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. land — to come down
  24. net — after costs

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