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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. swing — music
  3. bound — certain
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ball — a dance
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bound — obliged
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chair — a leader
  23. snap — to click
  24. ball — a great time

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