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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. squash — to crush
  3. club — for golf
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. tube — the underground
  7. craft — boats
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. season — in sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. squash — the sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. object — an aim
  16. tube — a container
  17. branch — a division
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. object — to protest
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. craft — a skill

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