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

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. tube — a container
  4. craft — boats
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — for catching
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. net — in sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. net — after costs
  16. mark — a grade
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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