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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. craft — boats
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. squash — to crush
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. game — a match
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pit — in a race
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fine — all right
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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