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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: cap · can · foot · craft · suit · row · drill · land

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cap — a lid
  4. land — to come down
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. land — a country
  12. drill — army training
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cap — a hat
  15. land — ground
  16. cap — of ice
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — to paddle
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. craft — a handicraft

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