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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. craft — boats
  5. mug — to rob
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — a path
  10. chip — for betting
  11. firm — steady
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cold — an illness
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cold — not warm
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mug — a face
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. craft — a skill
  21. chip — to eat
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cold — the Cold War

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