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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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 — boats
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wind — moving air
  5. race — a contest
  6. branch — a division
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pound — a weight
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. track — a path
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. suit — in cards
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — a song
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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