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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. tube — the underground
  5. content — happy
  6. object — a thing
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. tube — a container
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. rule — a law
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. kid — child
  24. rule — government

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