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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cap — of ice
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — of water
  10. chair — a leader
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cap — a lid
  14. net — in sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. current — electric
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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