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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
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: can · mouse · racket · content · mine · craft · plane · land

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. land — ground
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. plane — a tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. land — a country
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. content — the amount
  19. mine — for digging
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. content — happy
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. land — to come down

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