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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. present — a gift
  6. key — for a lock
  7. present — there
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. key — in music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. swing — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bark — to shout
  20. present — the time now
  21. swing — in golf
  22. key — the most important part
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. arm — a part of something

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