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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fine — high quality
  8. present — a gift
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hand — help
  12. craft — a skill
  13. court — of a king
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. pit — in a race
  17. present — the time now
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fine — all right
  20. net — after costs
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. court — of law
  23. craft — boats
  24. court — for sport

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