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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. swing — music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. march — the month
  5. pit — a hole
  6. march — the month
  7. craft — boats
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. swing — in golf
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — part of the head
  21. can — a tin
  22. march — music
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. swing — to play on

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