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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. scale — size or range
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — a skill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rest — a break
  11. stand — to bear
  12. tube — a container
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — a leader
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. craft — a handicraft

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