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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 116 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — in control
  4. can — a tin
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. march — music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. can — a tin
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — to tire
  16. craft — boats
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — electricity
  19. march — the month
  20. can — to be able to
  21. charge — a price
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wind — to turn a key

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