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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. game — wild animals
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. object — a thing
  5. craft — boats
  6. ball — a great time
  7. plane — a tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. branch — a division
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ball — a dance
  17. root — of a word
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. object — to protest

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