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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — music
  5. chip — for betting
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spell — magic
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. court — of a king
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. court — for sport
  14. craft — boats
  15. fall — the season
  16. spell — letters
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. spell — a short time
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chip — to eat
  23. court — of law
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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