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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. roll — a list
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — of the year
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — boats
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. roll — a cake
  13. deal — to handle
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — to be able to
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. season — in sport
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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