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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ground — a position
  3. court — of a king
  4. fine — all right
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chip — for betting
  8. court — for sport
  9. craft — boats
  10. tube — a container
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. court — of law
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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