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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. staff — a stick
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. track — a song
  13. craft — boats
  14. staff — employees
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. staff — employees
  18. branch — a division
  19. wind — moving air
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fan — to cool the air

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