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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pop — music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bat — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. face — to confront
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. craft — boats
  23. content — happy
  24. sharp — with an edge

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