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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fork — in a road
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. craft — a skill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. craft — boats
  19. pitch — completely
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rush — a thrill

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