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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: deal · track · spring · sharp · craft · pop · bulb · pass

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pass — a permit
  3. craft — boats
  4. track — a path
  5. pop — music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. track — a song
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bulb — for light
  15. craft — a skill
  16. spring — a coil
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pop — to visit
  20. spring — the season
  21. track — to keep track
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spring — of water
  24. deal — an agreement

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