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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. spring — the season
  4. track — a song
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fine — all right
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. track — a path
  10. bass — low music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. last — to go on
  14. fine — high quality
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spring — of water
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. last — finally
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stand — to bear
  23. last — final
  24. craft — boats

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