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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. craft — a skill
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ball — a dance
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ball — a great time
  22. can — to be able to
  23. craft — boats
  24. row — a quarrel

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