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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
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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: bay · craft · can · pass · spring · land · mate · net

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spring — of water
  4. net — for catching
  5. land — to come down
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. craft — boats
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spring — the season
  12. net — in sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. can — a tin
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — after costs
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. craft — a skill
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mate — a partner

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