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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. object — a thing
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. object — an aim
  5. swing — music
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. vault — a safe
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bat — the animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. date — the fruit
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. object — to protest
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — boats
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bark — to shout

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