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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. branch — a division
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — a gift
  11. net — in sport
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. present — the time now
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bear — the animal
  24. present — there

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