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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. firm — a company
  3. craft — a skill
  4. firm — steady
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. craft — boats
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ground — the earth
  12. content — happy
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ground — a position
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. firm — decided

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