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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. drill — army training
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — a skill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. prune — to trim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hand — help
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. hand — in cards
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. drill — a practice
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — the tool
  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