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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. can — a tin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. toast — bread
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bore — to tire
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cold — not warm
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bore — to drill
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. foot — a measure
  21. craft — a skill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chip — to eat

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