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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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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: rock · can · craft · kid · march · bowl · stick · land

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. march — the month
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. can — a tin
  8. march — music
  9. kid — child
  10. land — ground
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. craft — a skill
  13. march — the month
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rock — music
  16. land — to come down
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. land — a country
  19. craft — boats
  20. rock — a stone
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. 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