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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — for betting
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. prune — to trim
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chip — to eat
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. vault — a safe
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pit — in a race
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. march — the month
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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