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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. plane — a tool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. prune — to trim
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bark — to shout
  16. craft — boats
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitch — completely
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. prune — to trim
  23. club — a group
  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