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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bank — for money
  7. wound — an injury
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wound — an injury
  11. content — the amount
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bank — of a river
  17. content — happy
  18. craft — boats
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pitch — a sports field

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