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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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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — an injury
  6. craft — boats
  7. toast — bread
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. craft — a skill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — there

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