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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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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. can — a tin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. craft — boats
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — crushed
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. saw — the tool
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rule — government
  24. arm — a part of something

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