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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. land — to come down
  3. branch — a division
  4. squash — to crush
  5. land — a country
  6. suit — clothes
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tube — the underground
  9. suit — in cards
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. squash — the sport
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mate — a friend
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mate — to breed
  16. tube — a container
  17. craft — boats
  18. sharp — clever
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. craft — a skill
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mate — a partner
  23. suit — to fit
  24. land — ground

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