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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: wake · bass · track · saw · bay · capital · craft · pop

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bass — the fish
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — low music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. saw — the tool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. capital — a city
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pop — soda
  15. capital — money
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pop — music
  20. wake — a trail
  21. track — a song
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wake — before a funeral

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