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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. can — a tin
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ground — the earth
  7. craft — boats
  8. season — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ground — crushed
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. can — to be able to
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. season — of the year
  18. net — in sport
  19. wake — a trail
  20. net — for catching
  21. ground — a position
  22. craft — a skill
  23. vault — a safe
  24. season — to add flavour

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