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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. craft — a skill
  9. content — happy
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. net — in sport
  13. capital — money
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. tube — a container
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — after costs
  21. craft — boats
  22. fine — all right
  23. content — the amount
  24. craft — a handicraft

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