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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. club — for golf
  4. content — the amount
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — for dancing
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. craft — a skill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. charge — in control
  15. roll — a cake
  16. club — a group
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. craft — boats
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — a price
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. content — happy
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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