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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.

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: bear · hand · bat · craft · ball · can · pit · cell

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ball — a great time
  23. craft — boats
  24. ball — a dance

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