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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. craft — boats
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cue — for pool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. field — a subject
  11. track — to keep track
  12. march — music
  13. can — to be able to
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chip — to eat
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. cue — a hint
  20. field — farmland
  21. cue — a signal
  22. field — for sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. march — the month

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