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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rest — what's left
  3. toast — bread
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rest — a break
  7. degree — from a university
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — to trim
  14. degree — an amount
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. craft — a skill
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. craft — boats
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — the most admired

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