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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pop — to visit
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. track — a song
  5. pop — music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. club — for golf
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. craft — boats
  11. clip — a video
  12. track — a path
  13. pit — a hole
  14. clip — to cut
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. branch — a division
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pit — in a race
  20. craft — a skill
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pop — soda
  23. club — a group
  24. branch — of a bank

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