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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 120 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: pitcher · march · can · mark · pop · craft · drill · prune

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pop — music
  6. drill — army training
  7. march — the month
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — boats
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. march — music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mark — a grade
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pitcher — a jug

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