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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. toast — bread
  5. content — the amount
  6. rash — a series
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. shower — to wash
  11. craft — boats
  12. rock — music
  13. content — happy
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. shower — rain
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. content — videos and posts

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