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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. press — to push
  8. cue — a signal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. craft — boats
  11. fork — in a road
  12. plane — a tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cue — a hint
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. press — newspapers
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cue — for pool
  24. plane — in geometry

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