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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. content — happy
  3. net — after costs
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — in sport
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bound — obliged
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. bound — certain
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bound — tied together
  15. net — for catching
  16. fine — high quality
  17. branch — a division
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. fine — all right
  24. nail — for a hammer

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