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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. march — the month
  3. can — to be able to
  4. key — in music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. can — a tin
  8. track — a song
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. track — a path
  11. march — music
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. craft — a skill
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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