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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ball — a dance
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. firm — a company
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spring — the season
  11. craft — boats
  12. staff — employees
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a great time
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a skill
  17. spring — a coil
  18. branch — a division
  19. firm — steady
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. spring — of water
  22. game — a match
  23. staff — a stick
  24. game — wild animals

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