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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. key — for a lock
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. bulb — for light
  7. key — in music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. craft — a skill
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bass — low music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. race — the arms race
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. craft — boats
  21. tube — a container
  22. bass — the fish
  23. branch — a division
  24. trunk — of a tree

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