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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. content — the amount
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bank — for money
  7. roll — a cake
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. roll — a list
  11. track — a song
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. track — a path
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. content — happy
  20. bank — for money
  21. craft — a skill
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bank — of a river
  24. track — to keep track

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