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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cap — of ice
  3. present — the time now
  4. craft — boats
  5. squash — to crush
  6. toast — bread
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. net — for catching
  9. tube — the underground
  10. present — there
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — a gift
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. net — after costs
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cap — a lid
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cap — a hat
  22. craft — a skill
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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