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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cap — a lid
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — music
  8. cap — of ice
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. dip — to sink
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — boats
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cap — a hat
  23. march — the month
  24. racket — for tennis

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