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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pop — music
  6. craft — boats
  7. track — to keep track
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. capital — a city
  10. pop — to visit
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. face — to confront
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pop — soda
  15. face — part of the head
  16. track — a path
  17. face — to point toward
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. capital — money
  23. track — a song
  24. mine — an explosive

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