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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. swing — music
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. craft — boats
  15. can — to be able to
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. coach — a trainer
  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