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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. present — the time now
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mate — a partner
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ball — a great time
  8. march — music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. craft — boats
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mate — to breed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a dance
  18. present — a gift
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. prune — to trim
  21. march — the month
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. present — there
  24. march — the month

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