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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tube — the underground
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. net — after costs
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lean — to bend
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tube — a container
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. pit — a hole
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. scale — in 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