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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. craft — boats
  3. fine — all right
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. staff — a stick
  8. net — in sport
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. net — for catching
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. clip — to cut
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. staff — employees
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — for paper
  21. net — after costs
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bear — the animal
  24. clip — a video

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