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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ground — a position
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. track — a song
  5. shower — rain
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. scale — in music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. track — to keep track
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — in biology
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. track — a path
  17. craft — boats
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cell — a phone
  24. chair — a leader

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