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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bat — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — boats
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. net — for catching
  16. can — a tin
  17. firm — a company
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. can — a tin
  22. firm — steady
  23. bound — obliged
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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