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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: chest · prune · toast · clip · ball · mark · pass · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. clip — to cut
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. craft — boats
  8. clip — for paper
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. clip — a video
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. prune — to trim
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chest — a box
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pass — a permit
  23. toast — bread
  24. prune — the fruit

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