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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pit — in a race
  8. row — to paddle
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pit — a hole
  12. dip — to sink
  13. row — a line
  14. rest — a break
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a skill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. racket — for tennis

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