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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kid — to tease
  3. craft — boats
  4. game — a match
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. rest — a break
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wake — a trail
  13. season — of the year
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — in sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rest — what's left

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