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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. craft — boats
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rash — a series
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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