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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. board — a committee
  4. craft — boats
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. craft — a skill
  10. clip — a video
  11. court — of law
  12. board — to get on
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. clip — for paper
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — a path
  21. can — to be able to
  22. clip — to cut
  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