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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: sharp · ball · prune · ground · mark · racket · craft · face

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. craft — boats
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. ball — a dance
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ground — a position
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. sharp — clever
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ball — a great time
  23. craft — a skill
  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