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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rock — a stone
  4. net — for catching
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. scale — in music
  8. rock — music
  9. fine — all right
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. net — after costs
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fine — high quality
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. prune — to trim
  18. scale — size or range
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. net — in sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rock — to move gently

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