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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mate — a friend
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. object — an aim
  5. spell — letters
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pit — in a race
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. spell — a short time
  11. craft — boats
  12. pit — a hole
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mate — to breed
  16. spell — magic
  17. object — to protest
  18. charge — a price
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. charge — electricity
  22. object — a thing
  23. mate — a partner
  24. charge — in control

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