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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cap — a lid
  3. roll — a cake
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ball — a dance
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chest — of your body
  15. roll — a list
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chest — a box
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chest — of your body
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. jam — a tight spot

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