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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. craft — a skill
  10. spring — a coil
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. spring — the season
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. scale — in music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — boats
  18. chip — to eat
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spring — of water

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