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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. spell — a short time
  3. craft — a skill
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. charge — electricity
  12. season — of the year
  13. spell — letters
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chip — to eat
  16. scale — in music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. charge — a price
  21. chip — for betting
  22. scale — size or range
  23. spell — magic
  24. scale — for weighing

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