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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. degree — temperature
  3. press — newspapers
  4. firm — decided
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bank — for money
  7. craft — boats
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mine — for digging
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. firm — a company
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — a division
  21. press — to push
  22. bank — of a river
  23. firm — steady
  24. degree — from a university

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