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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pop — soda
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. scale — size or range
  6. net — for catching
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. net — in sport
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — happy
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. craft — boats
  17. net — after costs
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wake — a trail
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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