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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bass — low music
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. craft — boats
  14. mate — a partner
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. craft — a skill
  20. branch — a division
  21. land — a country
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bowl — a football final

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