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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 · rest · track

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. track — a path
  3. cold — not warm
  4. can — a tin
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. track — a song
  8. rest — a break
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. net — in sport
  11. craft — boats
  12. rest — what's left
  13. net — for catching
  14. can — a tin
  15. season — of the year
  16. track — to keep track
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — after costs
  20. cold — an illness
  21. craft — a skill
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  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