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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rock — a stone
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — boats
  15. rash — hasty
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rash — a series
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rock — music
  24. prune — to trim

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