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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. face — part of the head
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chip — for betting
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wake — a trail
  10. swing — in golf
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. face — to confront
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. swing — music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. face — to point toward
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. swing — to play on
  22. scale — in music
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chip — to eat

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