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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. branch — a division
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. land — ground
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — to come down
  19. roll — a cake
  20. deal — to handle
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. land — a country

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