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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. sharp — clever
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rash — hasty
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. can — a tin
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. craft — a skill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bass — the fish
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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