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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — a price
  11. ball — a dance
  12. charge — in control
  13. ball — a great time
  14. field — farmland
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. field — for sport
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. field — a subject
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitch — completely
  23. craft — boats
  24. date — the fruit

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