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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. object — an aim
  5. scale — size or range
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spring — of water
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. spring — a coil
  12. chair — a leader
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. branch — a division
  18. scale — in music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. object — a thing
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. object — to protest
  23. spring — the season
  24. patient — a sick person

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