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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bound — obliged
  4. craft — a skill
  5. last — finally
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bound — certain
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bound — tied together
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. craft — boats
  24. jam — in traffic

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