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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. field — for sport
  3. march — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. root — the cause
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. march — the month
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. track — to keep track
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bear — the animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. track — a path
  17. root — of a word
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. craft — boats
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. track — a song

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