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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. scale — size or range
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. staff — employees
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. content — happy
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. craft — a skill
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. scale — in music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. content — the amount
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. craft — boats
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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