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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. branch — a division
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. file — a line of people
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. craft — boats
  14. file — a tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. tube — a container
  19. wake — a trail
  20. file — a document
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. branch — of a bank

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