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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. march — the month
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rock — music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — a price
  9. row — to paddle
  10. charge — in control
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rock — a stone
  21. march — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. prune — to trim
  24. row — a quarrel

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