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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chest — a box
  5. current — happening now
  6. chest — of your body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. scale — in music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. current — electric
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cap — of ice
  14. craft — boats
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. current — of water
  17. toast — bread
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. game — a match

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