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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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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: fall · date · toast · content · mark · craft · tube · saw

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. content — the amount
  3. tube — the underground
  4. craft — boats
  5. tube — a container
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mark — a grade
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fall — the season
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. toast — bread
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. saw — the tool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. content — happy
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — to pay attention

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