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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. craft — boats
  3. ball — a dance
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chip — for betting
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. content — happy
  8. wind — moving air
  9. roll — a cake
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. kick — in football
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. content — the amount
  18. chip — to eat
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ball — a great time

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