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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cap — a lid
  5. craft — a skill
  6. track — to keep track
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. field — for sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. field — a subject
  13. track — a song
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — a path
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — boats
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. field — farmland

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