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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — boats
  5. capital — a city
  6. craft — a skill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. branch — a division
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. club — for golf
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. capital — money
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. squash — to crush
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. club — a group
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. club — for dancing

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