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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. court — of a king
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tear — from crying
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. craft — a skill
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. court — of law
  12. pass — a permit
  13. track — a path
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — to push
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. court — for sport

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