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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bass — low music
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. row — to paddle
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. craft — a skill
  18. squash — to crush
  19. craft — boats
  20. rock — a stone
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rock — music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bark — of a tree

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