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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bass — low music
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. track — to keep track
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitch — completely
  8. band — a ring
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. track — a path
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. branch — a division
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. track — a song
  21. pound — a weight
  22. band — a music group
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pitch — a sports field

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