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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. squash — the sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bound — certain
  5. tube — a container
  6. scale — in music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pop — music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bound — tied together
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pop — soda
  18. rest — a break
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. craft — boats

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