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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mug — to rob
  4. craft — boats
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. craft — a skill
  11. march — the month
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — clever
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bank — for money
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mug — a face
  21. bank — of a river
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — a handicraft

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