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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. game — a match
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ball — a dance
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. craft — boats
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cell — in biology
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cap — a hat

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