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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rock — music
  7. current — happening now
  8. content — happy
  9. field — for sport
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. current — of water
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. field — farmland
  18. content — the amount
  19. current — electric
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. craft — boats
  23. field — a subject
  24. rock — to move gently

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