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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lie — to recline
  4. craft — boats
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — to go on
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. stock — goods
  10. pound — a weight
  11. can — a tin
  12. field — farmland
  13. last — finally
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — shares
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. can — to be able to
  21. last — final
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. craft — a handicraft

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