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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. field — a subject
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. craft — boats
  11. staff — employees
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. deal — to handle
  17. craft — a skill
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. field — for sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. field — farmland
  24. sharp — clever

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