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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bark — to shout
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bound — certain
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bound — obliged
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. degree — from a university
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stand — on your feet

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