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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. land — to come down
  3. craft — boats
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. last — finally
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chip — for betting
  10. last — to go on
  11. land — a country
  12. stock — shares
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. content — the amount
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. last — final
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stock — goods
  23. land — ground
  24. lie — to recline

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