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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rock — a stone
  12. march — the month
  13. spell — magic
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bank — for money
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rock — music
  21. craft — boats
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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