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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. craft — boats
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. craft — a skill
  8. scale — size or range
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. field — a subject
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chip — for betting
  18. date — the fruit
  19. scale — in music
  20. field — for sport
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. field — farmland
  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