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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pound — a weight
  4. clip — to cut
  5. craft — boats
  6. clip — a video
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. row — a line
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. clip — for paper
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — of a bank

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