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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — a series
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rash — hasty
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. squash — the sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wind — moving air
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. can — a tin
  24. craft — boats

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