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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: squash · hand · ruler · swing · craft · bark · jam · pit

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. swing — music
  13. craft — boats
  14. hand — help
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pit — in a race
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. craft — a skill
  20. swing — in golf
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. squash — the vegetable

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