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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — to come down
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — in music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. craft — boats
  14. pop — to visit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. craft — a skill
  17. plane — a tool
  18. land — a country
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. land — ground

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