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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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Word bank
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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: track · rock · stem · march · craft · pound

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — to come from
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. march — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. track — a song
  8. craft — boats
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. track — a path
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. craft — a handicraft

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