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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. craft — boats
  9. charge — in control
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. content — happy
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rush — hurry
  18. season — of the year
  19. charge — a price
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bank — for money
  22. content — the amount
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — in sport

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