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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. content — happy
  8. bass — low music
  9. object — a thing
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — the amount
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cue — a hint
  15. object — an aim
  16. stock — shares
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stock — goods
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — to protest
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. staff — a stick

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