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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. charge — a price
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cue — a signal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cue — a hint
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bass — low music
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bass — the fish
  21. charge — in control
  22. fall — the season
  23. charge — electricity
  24. content — videos and posts

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