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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fine — high quality
  3. craft — boats
  4. net — after costs
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. content — the amount
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. net — in sport
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fine — all right
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. net — for catching
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. rash — a series
  23. craft — a skill
  24. content — happy

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