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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bound — obliged
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bound — certain
  8. swing — in golf
  9. craft — a skill
  10. track — a path
  11. bound — tied together
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. swing — music
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — clever
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. track — a song
  20. swing — to play on
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chair — a leader

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