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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. net — after costs
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. net — for catching
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. game — a match
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. face — to confront
  15. craft — boats
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — in sport
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a horse colour

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