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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. swing — in golf
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — a division
  11. snap — to click
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. swing — music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rule — government
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rule — a law
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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