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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. spell — a short time
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. object — an aim
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. deal — to handle
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spell — magic
  13. cap — a hat
  14. craft — boats
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. object — a thing
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. spell — letters
  20. cap — of ice
  21. branch — a division
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cap — a lid

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