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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. firm — a company
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — decided
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. land — ground
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. land — to come down
  13. firm — steady
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. deal — to handle
  18. branch — a division
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. land — a country
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pitch — completely

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