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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. craft — a skill
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — a division
  7. field — farmland
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. land — a country
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. object — an aim
  14. club — a group
  15. land — ground
  16. field — for sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. field — a subject
  19. club — for golf
  20. object — a thing
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. club — for dancing

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