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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. press — to push
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. press — newspapers
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. track — a song
  18. branch — a division
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. track — a path
  22. craft — boats
  23. net — for catching
  24. track — to keep track

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