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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rush — hurry
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. craft — boats
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fine — high quality
  17. face — part of the head
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. content — happy
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stock — goods
  22. fine — all right
  23. face — to confront
  24. content — the amount

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