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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wake — a trail
  7. land — ground
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. can — to be able to
  11. land — a country
  12. key — the most important part
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — to come down
  15. key — in music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. scale — size or range
  18. field — farmland
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. field — a subject
  24. scale — in music

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