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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rock — a stone
  6. file — a document
  7. rock — music
  8. press — to push
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. press — a publisher
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. board — a committee
  15. file — a tool
  16. board — to get on
  17. clip — a video
  18. press — newspapers
  19. craft — boats
  20. track — a path
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. track — to keep track

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