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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. charge — electricity
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. charge — in control
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitch — completely
  17. tear — from crying
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stem — to come from
  21. charge — a price
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mug — a face

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