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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. craft — a skill
  3. club — a group
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chest — a box
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — boats
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pit — in a race
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mine — belonging to me

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