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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pit — in a race
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. craft — a skill
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. spring — the season
  11. kick — in football
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. roll — a cake
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spring — of water
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. spring — a coil
  22. craft — boats
  23. roll — a list
  24. tube — the underground

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