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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. craft — a skill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. object — a thing
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. content — happy
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. charge — in control
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. cue — a hint
  18. shower — to wash
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. craft — boats
  22. charge — a price
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. content — the amount

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