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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. firm — steady
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. firm — decided
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. board — to get on
  7. scale — size or range
  8. track — a path
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. craft — a skill
  12. track — a song
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. branch — a division
  16. saw — the tool
  17. scale — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — a company
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. board — a committee
  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