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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. content — the amount
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rest — a break
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rest — what's left
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rash — a series
  16. craft — boats
  17. bass — low music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rule — government
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. hand — help
  23. content — happy
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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