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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. march — the month
  2. spring — a coil
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. march — the month
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spring — the season
  10. row — a line
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mark — a trace
  14. craft — a skill
  15. can — a tin
  16. craft — boats
  17. can — to be able to
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. march — music
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. spring — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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