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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chest — of your body
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. craft — boats
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kick — in football
  12. tube — a container
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chest — a box
  16. stock — goods
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. craft — a skill
  20. chest — of your body
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stock — shares
  24. tube — the underground

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