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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. squash — to crush
  3. vault — a safe
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fine — high quality
  7. kick — in football
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. march — music
  12. fine — all right
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. march — the month
  16. squash — the sport
  17. chip — to eat
  18. march — the month
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. craft — boats
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. kick — with a leg

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