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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. firm — steady
  3. craft — boats
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. degree — temperature
  7. craft — a skill
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bound — certain
  10. snap — to click
  11. bound — obliged
  12. firm — a company
  13. bound — tied together
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. firm — decided
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. degree — from a university
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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