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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rest — a break
  9. craft — boats
  10. rest — what's left
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. rash — a series
  18. season — of the year
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rash — hasty
  21. swing — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. swing — in golf

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