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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. present — a gift
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. row — to paddle
  6. track — to keep track
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. deal — to handle
  10. craft — boats
  11. track — a song
  12. craft — a skill
  13. row — a line
  14. track — a path
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. present — there
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pop — soda
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. land — to come down
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. present — the time now
  24. pop — to visit

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