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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. degree — from a university
  3. can — a tin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cue — for pool
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chip — for betting
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cue — a signal
  11. craft — boats
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cue — a hint
  14. degree — an amount
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. swing — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. swing — to play on
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chip — to eat
  23. can — to be able to
  24. swing — in golf

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