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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. can — a tin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. craft — a skill
  6. content — the amount
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. can — a tin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. can — to be able to
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. content — happy
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cell — a phone
  16. date — the fruit
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. season — in sport
  23. craft — boats
  24. cell — in biology

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