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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 116 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. craft — boats
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — after costs
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ground — a position
  13. can — a tin
  14. ground — the earth
  15. net — for catching
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bank — of a river
  24. net — in sport

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