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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.

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: bear · ball · date · craft · wax · bark · arm · track

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bark — to shout
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. track — a path
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ball — a great time
  22. craft — boats
  23. track — a song
  24. arm — part of the body

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