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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pit — a hole
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. net — in sport
  13. shower — to wash
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. craft — a skill
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. net — after costs
  22. prune — to trim
  23. net — for catching
  24. craft — boats

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