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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. foot — a measure
  3. craft — a skill
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. craft — boats
  10. field — a subject
  11. branch — a division
  12. field — farmland
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. field — for sport
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bowl — a dish

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