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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 124 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. land — a country
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. court — of law
  5. craft — a skill
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fine — all right
  8. court — for sport
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. land — ground
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. branch — a division
  16. fine — high quality
  17. craft — boats
  18. rock — a stone
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tube — a container
  21. court — of a king
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. land — to come down
  24. rock — 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