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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · arm · season · row · fine · craft · charge · tear

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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 — boats
  2. season — of the year
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. tear — from crying
  5. season — in sport
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fine — high quality
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. charge — a price
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. craft — a skill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — to paddle
  15. charge — in control
  16. ball — a great time
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ball — a dance
  19. tear — to rip
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fine — all right
  22. tear — from crying
  23. row — a line
  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