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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. file — a tool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kick — in football
  9. craft — boats
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. mark — a grade
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fine — high quality
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fine — all right
  21. chip — for betting
  22. file — a document
  23. chip — to eat
  24. kick — a thrill

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