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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. current — happening now
  4. bass — the fish
  5. court — of law
  6. craft — boats
  7. current — of water
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. court — for sport
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. craft — a skill
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pass — a permit
  16. court — of a king
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. content — happy
  21. hand — help
  22. content — the amount
  23. current — electric
  24. content — videos and posts

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