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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. march — the month
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. march — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tube — a container
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pop — music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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