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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 · fine · pit · plane · date · kid · bay · saw

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fine — all right
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. craft — a skill
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. saw — the tool
  12. date — the fruit
  13. kid — child
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. craft — boats
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fine — high quality

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