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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. charge — in control
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mug — a cup
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. craft — boats
  17. drill — army training
  18. row — to paddle
  19. drill — the tool
  20. charge — a price
  21. mug — a face
  22. row — a line
  23. drill — a practice
  24. prune — to trim

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