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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. prune — to trim
  4. net — in sport
  5. charge — in control
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — for catching
  11. cap — of ice
  12. craft — boats
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cap — a hat
  23. net — after costs
  24. jam — a tight spot

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