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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 116 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. net — for catching
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. spring — a coil
  7. swing — music
  8. net — in sport
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spring — of water
  11. rock — a stone
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. craft — a skill
  14. swing — to play on
  15. net — after costs
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. season — in sport
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. content — happy
  20. rock — music
  21. craft — boats
  22. swing — in golf
  23. season — of the year
  24. spring — the season

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