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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pit — a hole
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pop — soda
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pop — music
  12. fine — all right
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. craft — boats
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. branch — a division
  17. saw — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pit — in a race
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. branch — of a bank

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