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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. swing — to play on
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cap — a hat
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — employees
  9. cap — of ice
  10. spring — the season
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ground — crushed
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. spring — of water
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mark — a grade
  22. branch — a division
  23. mark — a trace
  24. craft — boats

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