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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · racket · object · mine · mate · bowl · clip · prune

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. craft — a skill
  3. object — to protest
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. clip — a video
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. object — a thing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. object — an aim
  15. craft — boats
  16. mate — a partner
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — a friend
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. prune — to trim

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