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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. row — to paddle
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — boats
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mine — for digging
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. spring — the season
  14. bound — tied together
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bound — obliged
  19. row — a line
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pitch — completely

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