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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — in music
  7. branch — a division
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. drill — the tool
  11. craft — a skill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. craft — boats
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. drill — army training
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. scale — size or range

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