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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fine — high quality
  4. track — a path
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. track — a song
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bound — certain
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. file — a document
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. craft — boats
  24. mine — for digging

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