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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 120 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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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: lash · march · pop · track · swing · fork · craft · race

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. track — a path
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. track — to keep track
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. fork — in a road
  9. race — humankind
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. march — the month
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. race — a contest
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. swing — music
  21. track — a song
  22. race — the arms race
  23. craft — boats
  24. fork — a garden tool

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