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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. branch — a division
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — for betting
  11. court — of law
  12. fork — in a road
  13. court — of a king
  14. craft — boats
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. court — for sport
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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