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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. last — finally
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — a law
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — after costs
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — there
  12. fine — all right
  13. net — in sport
  14. rule — government
  15. net — for catching
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — a gift
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fine — high quality

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