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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. hand — help
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. craft — a skill
  11. swing — music
  12. file — a tool
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rash — hasty
  15. swing — in golf
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. swing — to play on

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