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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. craft — boats
  3. pop — soda
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. firm — decided
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pop — music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pop — to visit
  14. craft — a skill
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bear — the animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. firm — steady
  24. bulb — of a plant

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