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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wind — moving air
  5. content — the amount
  6. rock — music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. scale — in music
  10. craft — boats
  11. content — happy
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. row — to paddle
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. row — a line
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. craft — a skill

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