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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. craft — a skill
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mug — a cup
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. hand — help
  9. mate — a friend
  10. file — a document
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. file — a line of people
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. file — a tool
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mug — a face
  24. chip — for betting

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