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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: craft · pitcher · nail · current · prune · sharp · lean · court

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. court — of law
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — to bend
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — thin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. sharp — clever
  18. current — electric
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. current — happening now
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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