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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. game — wild animals
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. track — to keep track
  10. can — a tin
  11. plane — a tool
  12. track — a song
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. prune — to trim
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — a tin
  17. game — a match
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. prune — to trim
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — to be able to
  22. track — a path
  23. pound — a weight
  24. craft — a skill

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