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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: can · firm · drill · bark · craft · court · track · bowl

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. firm — a company
  6. drill — army training
  7. track — a path
  8. court — for sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. craft — boats
  12. firm — steady
  13. drill — a practice
  14. court — of law
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. court — of a king
  18. craft — a skill
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — a song
  21. bark — to shout
  22. firm — decided
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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