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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. band — a ring
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. band — a music group
  6. board — a committee
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. craft — boats
  10. content — happy
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. board — to get on
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. jam — in traffic

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