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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. swing — music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. game — wild animals
  7. swing — in golf
  8. craft — a skill
  9. game — a match
  10. spring — the season
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. drill — army training
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spring — of water
  19. vault — a safe
  20. craft — boats
  21. spring — a coil
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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