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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. hand — help
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. craft — boats
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. ball — a great time
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. content — happy
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. content — the amount
  24. scale — size or range

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