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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · vault · march · stick · kid · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — child
  11. march — music
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. vault — a safe
  17. march — the month
  18. kid — to tease

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