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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. shower — to wash
  6. swing — music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. shower — rain
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bound — certain
  11. suit — clothes
  12. squash — the sport
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bat — the animal
  15. craft — boats
  16. suit — to fit
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. swing — in golf
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. suit — in cards
  23. craft — a skill
  24. squash — to crush

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