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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. track — a path
  4. craft — a skill
  5. court — of a king
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. track — to keep track
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stock — goods
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fork — in a road
  15. court — for sport
  16. track — a song
  17. stock — shares
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. craft — boats
  23. court — of law
  24. mark — a grade

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