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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spring — the season
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. field — farmland
  5. board — to get on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — of water
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. field — for sport
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. snap — to click
  14. board — a committee
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spring — a coil
  23. prune — to trim
  24. field — a subject

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