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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. field — a subject
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pass — a permit
  14. craft — boats
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — to fit
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. field — farmland
  22. rash — a series
  23. field — for sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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