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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. content — happy
  3. season — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — the amount
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. season — of the year
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. craft — boats
  17. perch — the fish
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. craft — a handicraft

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