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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mug — to rob
  7. tube — a container
  8. mug — a face
  9. craft — a skill
  10. branch — a division
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. craft — boats
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bear — the animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mug — a cup
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. content — the amount
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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