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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. object — to protest
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bound — certain
  5. object — a thing
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. craft — boats
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bound — obliged
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. object — an aim
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — clever
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bound — tied together

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