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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. scale — size or range
  3. season — of the year
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. present — the time now
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — a division
  11. date — the fruit
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. present — a gift
  16. craft — boats
  17. scale — in music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. season — in sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. present — there

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