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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wake — a trail
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. craft — a skill
  14. net — in sport
  15. craft — boats
  16. root — of a word
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. root — the cause
  21. net — after costs
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. prune — to trim
  24. craft — a handicraft

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