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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — to drill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fine — all right
  16. craft — boats
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — in a race
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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