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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. can — to be able to
  4. land — a country
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pop — soda
  8. craft — boats
  9. can — a tin
  10. pop — music
  11. net — after costs
  12. game — wild animals
  13. land — ground
  14. craft — a skill
  15. land — to come down
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — in sport
  20. game — a match
  21. net — for catching
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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