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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. drill — a practice
  3. game — a match
  4. craft — boats
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bank — of a river
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. drill — army training
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ground — a position
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wake — a trail
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ground — the earth

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