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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. prune — to trim
  3. key — the most important part
  4. prune — to trim
  5. net — after costs
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. wind — moving air
  10. hand — help
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. key — in music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. calf — a young animal

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