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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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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cue — a hint
  3. craft — boats
  4. mate — a friend
  5. craft — a skill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mate — to breed
  9. track — a song
  10. mate — a partner
  11. track — a path
  12. bank — for money
  13. cue — a signal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bank — for money
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cue — for pool
  24. present — the time 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