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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. season — in sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stock — shares
  8. season — of the year
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. craft — boats
  12. sharp — clever
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stock — goods
  16. vault — a safe
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stock — a soup base

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