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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. hand — help
  2. object — to protest
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. firm — a company
  5. pit — a hole
  6. craft — a skill
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. hand — in cards
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pit — in a race
  13. capital — money
  14. firm — decided
  15. capital — a city
  16. craft — boats
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. chip — to eat
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. firm — steady
  23. sharp — clever
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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