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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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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. firm — decided
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bark — to shout
  17. firm — a company
  18. craft — boats
  19. pit — in a race
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cue — a hint
  22. firm — steady
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. swing — in golf

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