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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. suit — in cards
  3. net — for catching
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. march — the month
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. vault — a safe
  10. march — music
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kid — child
  14. net — after costs
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. net — in sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. craft — boats
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. craft — a skill

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