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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. board — a committee
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. content — happy
  8. cell — in biology
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. craft — a skill
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. shower — to wash
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — rain
  18. rock — a stone
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rock — music
  24. content — videos and posts

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