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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: mine · foot · craft · nail · can · cap · season · track

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mine — for digging
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — to keep track
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. can — a tin
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cap — a lid
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. craft — boats
  14. track — a path
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cap — of ice
  17. foot — a measure
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — a song
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. can — to be able to

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