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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. cap — a hat
  3. court — of a king
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. court — for sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pound — a weight
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. press — a publisher
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. court — of law
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. craft — a handicraft
  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