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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. march — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. march — the month
  18. craft — boats
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. march — the month

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