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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. deal — to handle
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. chair — a leader
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fall — the season
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — a series
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rash — on the skin

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