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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mug — a face
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — a country
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. land — ground
  12. chip — for betting
  13. land — to come down
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. saw — the tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. craft — boats
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. craft — a skill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. dip — to sink
  24. net — for catching

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