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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. craft — a skill
  3. net — after costs
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. net — for catching
  6. prune — to trim
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cue — a signal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bat — the animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. cue — a hint
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — boats
  21. face — part of the head
  22. net — in sport
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. safe — a strongbox

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