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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. branch — a division
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cell — in biology
  5. craft — boats
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. track — a path
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. track — to keep track
  12. press — to push
  13. cell — a phone
  14. vault — a safe
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. track — a song
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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