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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. mark — a trace
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. can — a tin
  18. capital — money
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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