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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — there
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. present — a gift
  6. club — a group
  7. last — final
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — to go on
  13. craft — a skill
  14. face — part of the head
  15. club — for dancing
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to confront
  19. present — the time now
  20. club — for golf
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. last — finally
  24. bowl — to roll

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