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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. capital — money
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fine — high quality
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — boats
  7. drill — a practice
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. drill — army training
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. drill — the tool
  17. capital — a city
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — all right
  22. stand — to bear
  23. craft — a skill
  24. foot — the bottom

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