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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. object — to protest
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. deal — to handle
  10. object — a thing
  11. branch — a division
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wake — a trail
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. craft — boats
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pound — a weight

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