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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. squash — the sport
  3. file — a document
  4. rule — a law
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. net — after costs
  7. squash — to crush
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — letters
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rule — government
  13. can — a tin
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. net — in sport
  24. can — to be able to

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