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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rule — a law
  10. craft — boats
  11. mug — a cup
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cap — of ice
  14. land — a country
  15. swing — to play on
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. swing — music
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. dip — to sink
  24. swing — in golf

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