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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. prune — to trim
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. content — the amount
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a dance
  13. content — happy
  14. craft — a skill
  15. drill — army training
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. sharp — clever
  18. craft — boats
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ball — a great time
  23. drill — the tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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