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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. deal — to handle
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — the time now
  6. craft — boats
  7. band — a music group
  8. present — a gift
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. prune — to trim
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. staff — a stick
  16. present — there
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. staff — employees
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. craft — a handicraft

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