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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 116 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. craft — boats
  3. march — the month
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. present — the time now
  7. march — music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. present — a gift
  10. bark — to shout
  11. chip — to eat
  12. file — a tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chip — for betting
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wax — to grow
  18. present — there
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ball — a dance
  23. march — the month
  24. wax — for sculpting

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