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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tube — the underground
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rule — a law
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. craft — boats
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — a song
  16. tube — a container
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rule — government
  21. track — a path
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. leaves — to go away

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