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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — in music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fork — in a road
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. land — a country
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. land — ground
  12. fall — the season
  13. mug — to rob
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rash — a series
  17. craft — a skill
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mug — a face
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. land — to come down
  22. craft — boats
  23. rash — hasty
  24. prune — to trim

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