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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. craft — a skill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spring — the season
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fine — all right
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bore — to tire
  16. spring — of water
  17. fine — high quality
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — to trim
  20. dip — to sink
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ground — the earth
  23. spring — a coil
  24. craft — boats

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