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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. scale — in music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spring — of water
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. spring — a coil
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. scale — size or range
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. craft — boats
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mug — a face
  22. spring — the season
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. branch — a division

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