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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. charge — in control
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. scale — in music
  11. craft — boats
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. march — the month
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. craft — a skill
  20. sharp — clever
  21. charge — a price
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — music
  24. sharp — exactly

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