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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: ball · craft · track · last · stick · mate · clip · pass

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ball — a great time
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mate — a friend
  8. track — a song
  9. clip — a video
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pass — a permit
  12. clip — for paper
  13. track — to keep track
  14. last — finally
  15. clip — to cut
  16. last — final
  17. craft — boats
  18. last — to go on
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. track — a path
  24. craft — a skill

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