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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. scale — in music
  3. rock — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pop — to visit
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. craft — boats
  14. saw — the tool
  15. scale — size or range
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pop — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — soda
  24. craft — a handicraft

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