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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: mine · staff · craft · can · bowl · pitcher · rock · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rock — music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. craft — boats
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — for digging
  11. can — a tin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. craft — a skill
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. staff — employees

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