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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. drill — the tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ball — a dance
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. tube — the underground
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — an aim
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tube — a container
  17. object — to protest
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ball — a great time
  21. drill — army training
  22. object — a thing
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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