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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. swing — in golf
  4. roll — a cake
  5. present — a gift
  6. swing — to play on
  7. present — the time now
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. swing — music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. present — there
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. toast — bread
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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