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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. craft — boats
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. spell — letters
  13. field — farmland
  14. spell — a short time
  15. craft — a skill
  16. swing — music
  17. field — for sport
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — magic
  22. field — a subject
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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