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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. craft — boats
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. content — the amount
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — low music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fan — a supporter

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