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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 116 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 a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mark — a trace
  5. court — of law
  6. swing — in golf
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ball — a great time
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. court — for sport
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chip — to eat
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. swing — to play on
  20. court — of a king
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — boats

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