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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. race — the arms race
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. spring — a coil
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. charge — a price
  13. staff — employees
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. pitch — completely
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. staff — a stick
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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