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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bass — the fish
  3. land — to come down
  4. firm — a company
  5. fall — to drop
  6. land — a country
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — boats
  11. firm — decided
  12. branch — a division
  13. firm — steady
  14. land — ground
  15. key — in music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. key — for a lock
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fall — the season
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. key — the most important part
  24. craft — a handicraft

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