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

Word bank: craft · cap · snap · track · content · swing · cabinet · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. craft — a skill
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mate — to breed
  10. track — to keep track
  11. content — the amount
  12. craft — boats
  13. cap — a hat
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. cap — of ice
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. track — a path
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. track — a song
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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