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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. track — a song
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. land — a country
  5. rock — a stone
  6. land — ground
  7. rock — music
  8. march — music
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bore — to drill
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. march — the month
  16. scale — size or range
  17. track — a path
  18. scale — in music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. march — the month
  21. land — to come down
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bore — gave birth
  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