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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 120 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cap — of ice
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — a committee
  6. pitch — completely
  7. craft — a skill
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cap — a lid
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — letters
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. craft — boats
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spell — a short time

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