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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mate — a friend
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — the amount
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — of ice
  14. key — in music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. content — happy
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cap — a lid

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