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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bark — to shout
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fork — in a road
  10. craft — boats
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. track — a song
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pop — soda
  18. track — a path
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mate — a friend

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