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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. season — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. craft — a skill
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. sharp — clever
  12. season — of the year
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. cap — of ice
  16. net — for catching
  17. craft — boats
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. sharp — exactly

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