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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: pitcher · bore · craft · snap · kid · can · roll · bay

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. can — to be able to
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kid — child
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. kid — to tease
  10. craft — a skill
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. roll — a cake
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. craft — boats
  17. can — a tin
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bore — to drill

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