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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. track — a path
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rush — hurry
  9. track — to keep track
  10. charge — a price
  11. pit — a hole
  12. track — a song
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pit — in a race
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. charge — in control
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cap — a hat

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