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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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468
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: hide · hand · jam · swing · ruler · bark · capital · craft

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. swing — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. capital — a city
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. swing — to play on
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. swing — in golf
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. capital — money
  17. bark — to shout
  18. hand — help
  19. craft — boats
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. craft — a skill
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. jam — a tight spot

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