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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 116 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
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: pit · cabinet · craft · wake · row · can · bass · key

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pit — a hole
  9. can — to be able to
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pit — in a race
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bass — low music
  14. wake — a trail
  15. key — in music
  16. craft — boats
  17. row — a line
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. craft — a skill

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