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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. net — in sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — for catching
  5. wound — an injury
  6. craft — boats
  7. net — after costs
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bore — to drill
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — a trace
  16. kid — child
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mark — a grade

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