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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tube — a container
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. content — happy
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — low music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bass — the fish
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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