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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kick — in football
  7. can — a tin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. prune — to trim
  19. file — a document
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. can — a tin
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. file — a tool

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