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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. content — the amount
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — boats
  6. snap — to click
  7. season — of the year
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. season — in sport
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. content — happy
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fine — high quality
  23. game — a match
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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