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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. march — the month
  3. content — the amount
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. board — to get on
  7. craft — a skill
  8. content — happy
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. march — the month
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fork — in a road
  19. craft — boats
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cell — in biology
  22. march — music
  23. board — a committee
  24. fork — a garden tool

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