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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. tube — the underground
  3. branch — a division
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pass — a permit
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. squash — the sport
  11. craft — boats
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tube — a container
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bass — low music

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