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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. craft — a skill
  4. field — for sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. field — a subject
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. field — farmland
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — boats
  23. fall — the season
  24. mouse — the animal

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