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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. content — happy
  4. craft — boats
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fine — all right
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. content — the amount
  12. march — music
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rock — music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — a stone
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chair — a leader

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