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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pit — in a race
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ground — the earth
  8. craft — boats
  9. ground — a position
  10. season — of the year
  11. ground — crushed
  12. branch — a division
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pit — a hole
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. swing — music
  18. season — to add flavour

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