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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. file — a document
  3. last — final
  4. swing — in golf
  5. craft — boats
  6. pop — to visit
  7. object — an aim
  8. swing — music
  9. last — to go on
  10. swing — to play on
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. track — to keep track
  13. file — a tool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pop — soda
  16. object — to protest
  17. last — finally
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pop — music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. track — a path
  22. stand — to bear
  23. track — a song
  24. object — a thing

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