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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — the underground
  5. can — a tin
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. tube — a container
  10. pitch — completely
  11. lean — thin
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hand — in cards
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lean — to bend
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fine — all right
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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