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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ball — a dance
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. craft — a skill
  6. march — music
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. key — the most important part
  11. march — the month
  12. craft — boats
  13. march — the month
  14. ball — a great time
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ball — a round shape

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