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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chair — a leader
  4. swing — to play on
  5. spell — a short time
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pit — a hole
  8. craft — boats
  9. pit — in a race
  10. spell — letters
  11. suit — clothes
  12. swing — music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. spell — magic
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. chair — a professorship

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