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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. craft — a skill
  3. last — final
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rock — a stone
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pit — in a race
  8. last — to go on
  9. season — in sport
  10. last — finally
  11. rest — a break
  12. pop — music
  13. craft — boats
  14. rock — music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pop — soda
  21. season — of the year
  22. pop — to visit
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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