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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — ground
  4. craft — boats
  5. land — to come down
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — a grade
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. staff — employees
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mark — a trace
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — a country
  23. bulb — for light
  24. branch — a division

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