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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. firm — a company
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — a country
  5. content — the amount
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — there
  9. content — happy
  10. firm — steady
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. staff — a stick
  14. firm — decided
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. present — the time now
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — a gift

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