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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rock — music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. swing — in golf
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rock — a stone
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rush — hurry
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. swing — music
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. jam — in traffic

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