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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. craft — boats
  5. pit — a hole
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pit — in a race
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — a song
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. roll — a list
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. snap — to click

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