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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bank — of a river
  4. swing — music
  5. field — for sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — help
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — tied together
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rest — a break
  13. field — farmland
  14. bound — certain
  15. rest — what's left
  16. staff — employees
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bound — obliged
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bank — for money
  22. swing — in golf
  23. field — a subject
  24. craft — boats

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