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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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 — a tin
  2. key — in music
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. chest — of your body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. craft — a skill
  9. swing — in golf
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. swing — to play on
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. chest — of your body
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kick — in football
  17. game — a match
  18. swing — music
  19. craft — boats
  20. chest — a box
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. can — to be able to
  23. game — wild animals
  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