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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pop — to visit
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ground — a position
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. craft — boats
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pop — soda
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pop — music

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