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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. band — a ring
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bark — to shout
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. ground — a position
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. craft — boats

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