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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mark — a trace
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. swing — to play on
  6. march — music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pop — to visit
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — to fit
  13. march — the month
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. pop — music
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pop — soda
  20. foot — a measure
  21. craft — a skill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. foot — the bottom

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