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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. game — a match
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. swing — to play on
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. firm — a company
  10. swing — in golf
  11. game — wild animals
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. firm — decided
  14. swing — music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fork — in a road
  17. craft — boats
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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