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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. field — a subject
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. craft — boats
  10. club — for dancing
  11. shower — to wash
  12. suit — in cards
  13. last — finally
  14. field — farmland
  15. content — the amount
  16. shower — rain
  17. suit — to fit
  18. content — happy
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — clothes
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. last — final

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