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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. roll — a cake
  7. content — the amount
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. content — happy
  13. craft — boats
  14. track — to keep track
  15. board — to get on
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — a path
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — a song
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. perch — the fish
  24. jam — a tight spot

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