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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · craft · cabinet · bank · pit · pop

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pop — music
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bank — for money
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pop — soda
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. craft — boats
  13. content — the amount
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bank — for money

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