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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. craft — a skill
  9. content — happy
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stock — shares
  12. lie — to recline
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — a signal
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cue — a hint
  21. current — electric
  22. craft — boats
  23. row — a line
  24. current — of water

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