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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bark — to shout
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pit — in a race
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a dance
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rash — hasty
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rash — a series
  19. band — a ring
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. craft — boats
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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