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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. land — ground
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. craft — a skill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fork — in a road
  10. land — to come down
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. land — a country
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. craft — boats
  21. content — happy
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. fork — to eat with

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