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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. craft — a skill
  4. season — of the year
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stock — shares
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. season — in sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. craft — boats
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. kid — child
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stock — goods
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. game — a match

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