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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. craft — a skill
  7. tube — a container
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stock — shares
  12. chip — for betting
  13. tube — the underground
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. prune — to trim
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stock — goods
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. plane — a tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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