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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bark — to shout
  4. march — music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pit — in a race
  8. hand — in cards
  9. craft — boats
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — a division
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pit — a hole
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hand — help
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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