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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. suit — clothes
  8. craft — boats
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. suit — in cards
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. branch — a division
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. suit — to fit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. capital — money
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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