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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bank — of a river
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. season — of the year
  13. hand — help
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. craft — a skill
  19. season — in sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — in sport

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