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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. squash — to crush
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. charge — a price
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. club — a group
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. perch — the fish
  17. club — for golf
  18. plane — a tool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. charge — in control
  21. craft — a skill
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. charge — electricity
  24. club — for dancing

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