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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. march — music
  5. rush — hurry
  6. capital — money
  7. march — the month
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. capital — a city
  14. craft — a skill
  15. march — the month
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. craft — boats
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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