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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: spell · can · present · deal · mine · track · rash · craft

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. can — a tin
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mine — for digging
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. present — there
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rash — a series
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. track — a song
  15. present — a gift
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. spell — magic
  21. present — the time now
  22. craft — a skill
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — a path

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