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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. march — the month
  5. file — a line of people
  6. march — the month
  7. track — a path
  8. file — a tool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. file — a document
  18. march — music
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. craft — boats
  23. row — a line
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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