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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rest — what's left
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitch — completely
  6. craft — boats
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rest — a break
  12. prune — to trim
  13. date — the fruit
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. face — to confront
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. face — part of the head

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