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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: squash · cap · stick · craft · bowl · object · net · can

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — of ice
  9. craft — boats
  10. squash — the sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cap — a lid
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — a thing
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. object — an aim
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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