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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bass — low music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. prune — to trim
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bass — the instrument

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