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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. can — to be able to
  3. key — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — decided
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. firm — steady
  8. craft — boats
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. face — to point toward
  15. craft — a skill
  16. face — part of the head
  17. key — for a lock
  18. can — a tin
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wound — an injury
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. face — to confront
  23. can — a tin
  24. wound — an injury

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