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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: mouse · craft · march · pitch · file · prune · mark · deal

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. file — a tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. march — the month
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. file — a line of people
  14. craft — boats
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. march — music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. craft — a skill
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. march — the month
  24. file — a document

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