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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fine — high quality
  4. firm — steady
  5. content — happy
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. root — of a plant
  9. craft — a skill
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. craft — boats
  12. content — the amount
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. firm — decided
  16. race — a contest
  17. fine — all right
  18. root — of a word
  19. can — to be able to
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. root — the cause
  23. race — humankind
  24. bat — the animal

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