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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. roll — a cake
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. craft — a skill
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — in music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. roll — a list
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bark — to shout
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. craft — boats
  24. racket — for tennis

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