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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. club — a group
  6. branch — a division
  7. capital — a city
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — for golf
  10. shower — rain
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. capital — money
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. craft — boats
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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