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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. last — finally
  3. craft — boats
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. key — for a lock
  6. last — to go on
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. firm — steady
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. branch — a division
  11. key — in music
  12. firm — a company
  13. key — the most important part
  14. firm — decided
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rock — music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. last — final
  24. rock — a stone

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