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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. ground — a position
  4. fine — high quality
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cell — in biology
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. last — final
  12. track — a song
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cell — a phone
  15. last — to go on
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. last — finally
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. track — a path
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fine — all right
  24. craft — boats

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