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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rule — government
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. craft — a skill
  5. toast — bread
  6. rule — a law
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. deal — to handle
  9. club — a group
  10. craft — boats
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. club — for dancing
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. band — a ring
  17. firm — decided
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. firm — steady
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. firm — a company
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. band — a music group
  24. branch — a division

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