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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 124 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a skill
  3. court — of law
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. court — for sport
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. branch — a division
  15. mate — to breed
  16. court — of a king
  17. craft — boats
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mate — a friend

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