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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bound — certain
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — boats
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rule — a law
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rule — government
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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