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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spring — of water
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. firm — a company
  5. rock — music
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cell — in biology
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spring — the season
  10. craft — boats
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. spring — a coil
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cell — a phone
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. firm — steady
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rock — a stone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. firm — decided

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