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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. craft — boats
  7. prune — to trim
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. suit — to fit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. net — in sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. coach — a trainer

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