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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. club — a group
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. club — for dancing
  8. swing — in golf
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. net — in sport
  12. swing — to play on
  13. craft — boats
  14. prune — to trim
  15. club — for golf
  16. pit — in a race
  17. net — for catching
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — a hole
  21. net — after costs
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. swing — music

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