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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. content — the amount
  3. march — music
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. content — happy
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mate — a partner
  15. craft — boats
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pass — a permit

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