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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — boats
  7. row — a line
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hand — help
  13. pit — a hole
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. row — to paddle
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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