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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. track — a song
  3. craft — a skill
  4. chip — to eat
  5. drill — a practice
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pop — to visit
  8. drill — army training
  9. pop — soda
  10. track — a path
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pop — music
  13. drill — the tool
  14. craft — boats
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. track — to keep track

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