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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. march — music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. degree — from a university
  7. craft — boats
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. drill — the tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. march — the month
  13. track — a song
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. track — a path
  18. swing — music
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. degree — an amount
  21. march — the month
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. track — to keep track

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