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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. craft — boats
  3. bass — low music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mug — a face
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bound — certain
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rash — a series
  16. present — there
  17. bark — to shout
  18. present — a gift
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. present — the time now
  24. mug — to rob

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