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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pop — to visit
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pop — music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pop — soda
  16. court — of law
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. court — of a king
  19. march — the month
  20. foot — a measure
  21. court — for sport
  22. snap — to click
  23. craft — boats
  24. arm — a part of something

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