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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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468
Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stem — to come from
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. current — happening now
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. net — after costs
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a skill
  15. net — for catching
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — in sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. craft — boats
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. season — of the year

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