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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — an illness
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. content — happy
  7. charge — a price
  8. club — for golf
  9. charge — in control
  10. club — for dancing
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — electricity
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cold — not warm
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. content — the amount
  22. club — a group
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cabinet — ministers

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