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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — for catching
  3. craft — boats
  4. branch — a division
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bat — the animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. club — for golf
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. club — a group
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. club — for dancing
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. net — in sport
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. net — after costs
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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