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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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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: craft · net · hand · racket · bass · jam · plane · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. craft — boats
  4. bass — the fish
  5. can — a tin
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. craft — a skill
  10. net — for catching
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. net — after costs
  16. plane — a tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — in sport
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. racket — for tennis

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