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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · pop · content · march · row · craft · mug · rash

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pop — soda
  3. rash — hasty
  4. march — the month
  5. pop — music
  6. content — happy
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pop — to visit
  9. march — music
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. march — the month
  14. content — the amount
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. staff — employees
  17. mug — a face
  18. craft — boats
  19. rash — a series
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. staff — a stick
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — a line

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