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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bass — the fish
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. object — an aim
  6. rest — a break
  7. root — the cause
  8. object — a thing
  9. content — happy
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — a partner
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mate — to breed
  14. root — of a word
  15. object — to protest
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bass — low music
  19. content — the amount
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rest — what's left

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