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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bass — low music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. capital — money
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — for betting
  10. capital — a city
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bass — the fish
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. key — in music
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. craft — a skill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. craft — a handicraft

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