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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. club — a group
  3. craft — a skill
  4. roll — a cake
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. field — a subject
  10. roll — a list
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. deal — to handle
  13. club — for golf
  14. bark — to shout
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. foot — a measure
  21. craft — boats
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. club — for dancing

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