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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pound — a weight
  3. branch — a division
  4. swing — in golf
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cell — in biology
  10. craft — a skill
  11. firm — a company
  12. rule — government
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. swing — music
  19. firm — decided
  20. fork — in a road
  21. firm — steady
  22. rule — a law
  23. swing — to play on
  24. branch — of a bank

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