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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. club — a group
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rest — what's left
  9. game — a match
  10. club — for dancing
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. club — for golf
  13. track — a song
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. rest — what's left
  17. game — wild animals
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rest — a break
  24. wave — with your hand

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