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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. craft — boats
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cue — a hint
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. track — to keep track
  11. craft — a skill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chip — to eat
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — a song
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chip — for betting
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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