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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. march — the month
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. prune — to trim
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. march — music
  9. press — a publisher
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. craft — boats
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. press — newspapers
  14. deal — to handle
  15. march — the month
  16. press — to push
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. prune — to trim

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