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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. land — a country
  6. craft — boats
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — a subject
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. land — ground
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. land — to come down
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bank — for money
  24. bowl — to roll

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