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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. craft — boats
  3. fork — in a road
  4. court — of a king
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — of law
  7. branch — a division
  8. can — a tin
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. can — a tin
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. court — for sport
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. can — to be able to
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. saw — the tool
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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