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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. foot — a measure
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. craft — boats
  6. branch — a division
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. club — a group
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. club — for golf
  11. scale — in music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — for dancing
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fine — all right
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fine — high quality

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