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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. craft — a skill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. scale — in music
  7. craft — boats
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. scale — size or range
  10. tube — a container
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. tube — the underground
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. content — happy
  24. jam — in traffic

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