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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. rash — hasty
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — of law
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. charge — in control
  18. court — of a king
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. court — for sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — a series

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