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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. present — the time now
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rash — hasty
  7. present — a gift
  8. game — a match
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rash — a series
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rock — a stone
  14. craft — boats
  15. present — there
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rock — music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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