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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pop — music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. track — a path
  7. rule — a law
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rule — government
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. craft — a skill
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitcher — a jug

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