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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — a match
  3. last — finally
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. roll — a list
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — for catching
  10. present — there
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — in sport
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. last — to go on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. last — final
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. game — wild animals
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. net — after costs
  22. present — a gift
  23. roll — a cake
  24. present — the time now

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