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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. stand — to bear
  2. craft — a skill
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. craft — boats
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. club — for golf
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. band — a music group
  12. stock — shares
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. club — a group
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stock — goods
  18. branch — a division
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. plane — a tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. band — a ring
  23. fan — a supporter
  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