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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bound — certain
  3. rash — a series
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fork — in a road
  19. branch — a division
  20. craft — boats
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bound — obliged

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