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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · season · craft · jam · net · cold

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. craft — boats
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — not warm
  11. net — for catching
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. craft — a skill
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cold — an illness
  17. season — of the year
  18. can — to be able to

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