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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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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: hide · craft · kid · deal · track · prune · pass · fine

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. craft — boats
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. craft — a skill
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fine — all right
  11. track — a path
  12. pass — a permit
  13. track — to keep track
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kid — to tease
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kid — child
  21. track — a song
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hide — animal skin

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