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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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. kid — to tease
  4. spring — the season
  5. ball — a dance
  6. track — a path
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ball — a great time
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mug — a face
  11. can — a tin
  12. file — a document
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. file — a tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. spring — of water
  22. can — to be able to
  23. craft — boats
  24. mug — a cup

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