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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.

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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.

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: bass · drill · net · racket · prune · march · fine · craft

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. fine — all right
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. net — in sport
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. march — the month
  7. drill — the tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. drill — army training
  10. march — music
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. bass — low music
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. march — the month
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. bass — the fish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — high quality
  23. drill — a practice
  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