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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. craft — boats
  3. march — the month
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bound — obliged
  6. current — electric
  7. tube — a container
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. swing — to play on
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. swing — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bound — certain
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. march — the month
  19. current — of water
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. current — happening now
  22. march — music
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bound — tied together

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