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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — wild animals
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. branch — a division
  8. suit — to fit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. suit — clothes
  11. tube — the underground
  12. squash — the sport
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. craft — a skill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. game — a match
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tube — a container
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mark — a grade
  24. squash — to crush

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