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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. swing — music
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. swing — in golf
  11. craft — boats
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. degree — an amount
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chip — for betting

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