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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. track — a song
  4. row — a line
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. degree — from a university
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. degree — temperature
  14. chip — for betting
  15. degree — an amount
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. track — a path
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. row — to paddle
  21. craft — boats
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bear — the animal

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