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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rash — a series
  24. date — on the calendar

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