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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — for catching
  7. prune — to trim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — a permit
  13. craft — boats
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. content — happy
  17. net — after costs
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pass — to spend time

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