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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wound — an injury
  5. staff — employees
  6. suit — in cards
  7. staff — employees
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fine — high quality
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. can — a tin
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. staff — a stick

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