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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. charge — in control
  4. row — to paddle
  5. scale — size or range
  6. charge — a price
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. row — a line
  10. track — a song
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spring — a coil
  13. track — a path
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. scale — in music
  16. craft — boats
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. spring — of water
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — the season
  24. craft — a skill

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