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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. game — wild animals
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. press — a publisher
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. game — a match
  20. plane — a tool
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — to push
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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