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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. can — a tin
  3. content — the amount
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. degree — temperature
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chip — for betting
  11. content — happy
  12. degree — an amount
  13. row — a line
  14. mug — to rob
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mug — a cup
  18. degree — from a university
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mug — a face
  21. chip — to eat
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. craft — boats
  24. can — a tin

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