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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. craft — a skill
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. track — to keep track
  5. branch — a division
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ground — a position
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wake — a trail
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. deal — to handle
  17. craft — boats
  18. track — a path
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chair — a leader

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