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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. season — of the year
  5. present — a gift
  6. can — a tin
  7. clip — to cut
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bound — obliged
  13. present — the time now
  14. clip — for paper
  15. season — in sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. clip — a video
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. squash — the sport
  24. present — there

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