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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. march — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bark — to shout
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. march — the month
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chip — to eat
  14. land — to come down
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. suit — in cards
  17. craft — boats
  18. rock — music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. suit — to fit
  21. march — the month
  22. land — a country
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. land — ground

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