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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chip — for betting
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fine — all right
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. track — a path

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