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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mug — to rob
  3. craft — boats
  4. current — happening now
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. current — electric
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mug — a face
  11. pit — in a race
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ball — a great time
  15. current — of water
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mug — a cup
  18. face — to point toward
  19. content — the amount
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. content — happy
  23. season — in sport
  24. craft — a handicraft

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