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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — after costs
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stock — shares
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. net — for catching
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. craft — boats
  20. content — happy
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. net — in sport
  24. stock — goods

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