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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: safe · pitcher · charge · bark · track · craft · march · can

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — a price
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. march — music
  11. can — a tin
  12. march — the month
  13. bark — to shout
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. craft — boats
  17. can — a tin
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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