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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ground — crushed
  7. content — the amount
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hand — help
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ground — the earth
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ground — a position
  19. hand — in cards
  20. content — happy
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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