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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rock — a stone
  6. march — the month
  7. can — a tin
  8. march — the month
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. craft — boats
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rule — a law
  13. rock — music
  14. can — a tin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. row — a line
  17. march — music
  18. key — in music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rash — a series
  24. rule — government

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