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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fine — all right
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. capital — a city
  7. pass — a permit
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. roll — a list
  10. craft — a skill
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. field — for sport
  13. toast — bread
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. craft — boats
  19. roll — a cake
  20. fine — high quality
  21. field — farmland
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. field — a subject
  24. capital — money

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