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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
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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: toast · march · content · can · branch · season · craft · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. march — music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. track — to keep track
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — to be able to
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. can — a tin
  13. content — happy
  14. march — the month
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. season — of the year
  17. craft — boats
  18. season — in sport
  19. track — a path
  20. branch — a division
  21. content — the amount
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — the month
  24. content — videos and posts

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