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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — for catching
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bat — the animal
  5. press — newspapers
  6. net — after costs
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — in sport
  10. board — a committee
  11. craft — boats
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tube — the underground
  15. kick — in football
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. press — to push
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. tube — a container
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. can — to be able to
  22. board — to get on
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bat — in an idiom

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