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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — for sport
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bark — to shout
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. deal — to handle
  15. prune — to trim
  16. degree — temperature
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. degree — an amount
  20. craft — boats
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. degree — from a university

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