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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — music
  3. swing — music
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. spell — a short time
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. craft — boats
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. spell — magic
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. kick — in football
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pass — to spend time

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