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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ground — crushed
  5. craft — boats
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ground — a position
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — a division
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — to be able to
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ground — the earth
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. can — a tin
  24. craft — a skill

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