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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. kid — child
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. season — of the year
  10. bat — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chair — a leader
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kid — to tease
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. charge — a price
  23. craft — boats
  24. chair — a professorship

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