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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. tube — a container
  4. drill — the tool
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cue — a signal
  7. content — the amount
  8. craft — boats
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. content — happy
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cue — for pool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. spell — magic
  23. date — the fruit
  24. tube — in a tire

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