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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. race — the arms race
  8. perch — the fish
  9. race — a contest
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rest — what's left
  12. race — humankind
  13. can — to be able to
  14. craft — boats
  15. bass — low music
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. craft — a skill
  19. track — a path
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — clever
  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