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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fork — in a road
  7. craft — boats
  8. spring — of water
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spring — the season
  11. board — to get on
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spring — a coil
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. board — a committee
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. swing — music

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