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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bass — low music
  3. content — happy
  4. bass — the fish
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chip — for betting
  13. content — the amount
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mug — a cup
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — a face
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chip — to eat
  21. craft — boats
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rash — hasty

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