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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. season — of the year
  4. date — the fruit
  5. craft — a skill
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. craft — boats
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fork — in a road
  10. season — in sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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