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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: bat · date · fan · can · track · present · rock · craft

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. can — a tin
  3. track — a song
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rock — a stone
  7. date — the fruit
  8. track — to keep track
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — the time now
  11. craft — boats
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. track — a path
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. craft — a skill
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. craft — a handicraft

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