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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.

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: march · spell · pitcher · firm · squash · key · craft · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — the month
  3. spell — letters
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. craft — a skill
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. can — a tin
  11. march — music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spell — magic
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spell — a short time
  18. firm — steady
  19. march — the month
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — the most important part
  22. firm — decided
  23. squash — the sport
  24. firm — a company

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