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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · foot · land · saw · track · present · club · craft

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bark — to shout
  3. club — for dancing
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. land — ground
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. present — there
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. foot — a measure
  14. land — to come down
  15. track — a path
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — for golf
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. land — a country
  21. craft — boats
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. present — the time now
  24. club — a group

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