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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. craft — a skill
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. season — in sport
  11. craft — boats
  12. snap — to click
  13. season — of the year
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. charge — electricity
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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