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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pop — soda
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rock — music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. craft — a skill
  14. swing — music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pop — music
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. craft — boats
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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