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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · firm · shower · cabinet · craft · land · racket · can

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. shower — rain
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. firm — a company
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. firm — decided
  19. craft — a skill
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — ground
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. shower — to wash

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