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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — in control
  4. prune — to trim
  5. net — in sport
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — after costs
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pass — a permit
  15. craft — boats
  16. staff — employees
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fine — all right
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. net — for catching
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. craft — a handicraft

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