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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. suit — to fit
  16. craft — boats
  17. kid — child
  18. suit — clothes
  19. branch — a division
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wound — an injury
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kid — to tease

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