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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — size or range
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. last — finally
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. craft — a skill
  13. branch — a division
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. last — final
  16. swing — to play on
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. last — to go on
  21. craft — boats
  22. scale — in music
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. craft — a handicraft

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