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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. craft — a skill
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. game — a match
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lie — to recline
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. swing — in golf
  14. charge — a price
  15. pound — a weight
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — in control
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. swing — music
  22. game — wild animals
  23. branch — a division
  24. craft — boats

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