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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. net — after costs
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cap — a hat
  16. net — for catching
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. present — the time now
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. deal — a big deal

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