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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. kid — child
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. craft — a skill
  6. root — of a word
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. content — the amount
  10. pass — a permit
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. net — for catching
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rash — hasty
  17. craft — boats
  18. root — the cause
  19. kid — to tease
  20. content — happy
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rash — a series
  23. net — in sport
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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