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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: craft · roll · snap · file · suit · season · row · track

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. track — a path
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. season — in sport
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. file — a document
  12. roll — a list
  13. suit — clothes
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. season — of the year
  16. track — to keep track
  17. file — a line of people
  18. snap — to click
  19. file — a tool
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. track — a song
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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