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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. march — the month
  4. pound — a weight
  5. row — a line
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. plane — a tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. march — music
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. march — the month
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rush — hurry

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