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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 120 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: stick · can · mine · sharp · game · pass · march · craft

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. march — the month
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. can — a tin
  10. pass — a permit
  11. march — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. game — a match
  22. march — the month
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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