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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pit — in a race
  4. net — for catching
  5. cue — a signal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. net — after costs
  12. cue — a hint
  13. season — of the year
  14. object — to protest
  15. bark — to shout
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. object — an aim
  21. cue — for pool
  22. season — in sport
  23. craft — boats
  24. object — a thing

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