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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. tube — the underground
  3. march — the month
  4. craft — a skill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tube — a container
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — magic
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. spell — a short time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. spell — letters
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. saw — the tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. craft — boats
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. march — music

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