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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. can — to be able to
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. squash — to crush
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. craft — boats
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. snap — to click
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — the sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. court — of law
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. can — a tin

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