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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fall — the season
  3. track — a path
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rash — hasty
  9. craft — boats
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mate — a friend
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mate — to breed
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bass — low music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. march — the month
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — the fish

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