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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. season — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. season — of the year
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wax — to grow
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fan — to cool the air

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