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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. branch — a division
  3. object — to protest
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. craft — boats
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. date — the fruit
  20. board — to get on
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. deal — to handle
  24. board — a committee

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