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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · lash · jam · file · pop · pitcher · craft · bark

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. craft — a skill
  6. file — a document
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pop — soda
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. craft — boats
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. file — a tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pop — to visit

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