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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pound — a weight
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — crushed
  6. craft — boats
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — to be able to
  12. last — final
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. last — finally
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. can — a tin
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ground — the earth

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