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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hand — in cards
  5. craft — boats
  6. hand — help
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — certain
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. swing — in golf
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — obliged

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