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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bark — to shout
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. clip — a video
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. march — the month
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. ball — a dance
  16. date — the fruit
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. craft — boats
  24. stand — to bear

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