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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. capital — money
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. last — final
  10. toast — bread
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. craft — boats
  13. date — the fruit
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. hand — help
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. capital — a city
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bark — to shout
  24. craft — a skill

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