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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — for catching
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rule — government
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. craft — boats
  13. tear — from crying
  14. scale — in music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rule — a law
  20. content — the amount
  21. ball — a dance
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. rule — to rule out

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