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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. craft — a skill
  5. spell — magic
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. content — the amount
  8. suit — to fit
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. suit — in cards
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. land — ground
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chip — to eat
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — letters
  18. craft — boats
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. content — happy
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. chip — for betting

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