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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. craft — boats
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — a company
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rash — a series
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. staff — a stick
  13. firm — steady
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. firm — decided
  16. dip — to sink
  17. scale — in music
  18. staff — employees
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. roll — a list
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. craft — a skill
  24. racket — for tennis

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