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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. last — to go on
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. track — to keep track
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — a song
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. band — a ring
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bank — for money
  18. last — finally
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. track — a path
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. band — a music group
  24. craft — boats

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