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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · prune · ruler · net · coach · dip · straw · march

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. net — after costs
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. march — the month
  15. net — in sport
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. net — for catching
  20. dip — to sink
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ruler — a monarch

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