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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. race — a contest
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. face — part of the head
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. deal — to handle
  12. content — happy
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. content — the amount
  16. race — humankind
  17. prune — to trim
  18. face — to confront
  19. craft — boats
  20. pit — in a race
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. prune — to trim
  23. face — to point toward
  24. sharp — clever

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