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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cap — a lid
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cap — of ice
  5. date — the fruit
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — for betting
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rock — music
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. craft — boats
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. date — on the calendar

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