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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. march — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. bass — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. bass — low music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. march — the month

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