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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. band — a music group
  3. swing — to play on
  4. tube — the underground
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. game — a match
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — a practice
  9. swing — in golf
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bark — to shout
  12. band — a ring
  13. game — wild animals
  14. tube — a container
  15. craft — boats
  16. drill — army training
  17. swing — music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. drill — the tool
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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