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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. net — in sport
  4. track — a song
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. track — a path
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — for digging
  12. craft — boats
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — for catching
  15. track — to keep track
  16. net — after costs
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. nail — for a hammer

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