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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: pitcher · last · craft · can · cap · bay · current · net

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. can — to be able to
  5. current — electric
  6. craft — boats
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. current — of water
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. net — for catching
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. current — happening now

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