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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. game — wild animals
  6. craft — boats
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. object — a thing
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — an illness
  18. file — a line of people
  19. object — an aim
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. object — to protest
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. foot — a measure

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