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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: sharp · craft · track · last · calf · board · foot · prune

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. track — a song
  3. last — finally
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — clever
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. foot — a measure
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. last — final
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. craft — boats
  23. last — to go on
  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