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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rest — what's left
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rest — a break
  8. bear — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. craft — boats
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. court — for sport

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