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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pop — soda
  5. hand — help
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chip — to eat
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stock — shares
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. craft — boats
  22. kick — in football
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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