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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: staff · land · tube · ground · can · mark · craft · wave

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mark — a grade
  3. land — a country
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. ground — a position
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. land — ground
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. ground — the earth
  18. tube — the underground
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — a trace
  21. land — to come down
  22. staff — employees
  23. can — a tin
  24. ground — crushed

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