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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. file — a document
  4. net — for catching
  5. can — to be able to
  6. roll — a list
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bank — for money
  9. roll — a cake
  10. can — a tin
  11. craft — boats
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — of a river
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. file — a tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — after costs
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — a tin
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. craft — a handicraft

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