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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: rush · stick · march · sharp · fork · bay · craft · deal

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. craft — boats
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — hurry
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. march — the month
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. march — the month
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. sharp — clever

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