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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bark — to shout
  3. spring — of water
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. prune — to trim
  8. track — a path
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — a song
  11. spring — the season
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. present — the time now
  16. bank — of a river
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. spring — a coil
  24. prune — to trim

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