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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · calf · last · march · track · cap · cold · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cap — a lid
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. march — the month
  14. craft — boats
  15. cap — a hat
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. track — to keep track
  19. march — music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — a song
  22. last — finally
  23. track — a path
  24. calf — a young animal

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