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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. swing — to play on
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — boats
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bore — to drill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kick — in football
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bore — to tire
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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