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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. season — in sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. season — of the year
  10. firm — steady
  11. suit — clothes
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. drill — a practice
  15. craft — boats
  16. scale — size or range
  17. row — to paddle
  18. drill — army training
  19. suit — to fit
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. suit — in cards
  22. prune — to trim
  23. scale — in music
  24. drill — the tool

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