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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bank — of a river
  3. game — a match
  4. content — the amount
  5. craft — boats
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. kid — to tease
  9. foot — a measure
  10. race — a contest
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. content — happy
  13. kid — child
  14. game — wild animals
  15. firm — steady
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bank — for money
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. craft — a skill

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