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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. craft — boats
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chip — for betting
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. swing — to play on
  16. scale — in music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rest — a break
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. swing — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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